Piezoelectric materials have the unusual characteristics that when subjected to a mechanical force, the materials, particularly crystalline minerals, become electrically polarized, and when the materials are subjected to an electric field, the material lengthens or shortens according to the polarity of the field and in proportion to the strength of the field. Due to these characteristics, piezoelectric materials have been used in a wide range of applications. For example, piezoelectric materials have been used in sensing applications, such as force or displacement sensors, and applications of materials with the inverse piezoelectric effect include actuation applications, such as in motors and devices that precisely control positioning, and in generating sonic and ultrasonic signals.
Piezoelectric transducers convert electrical energy into vibrational mechanical energy, such as sound or ultrasound, that is used to perform a task. Piezoelectric transducers are used to generate ultrasonic vibrations for cleaning, atomizing liquids, drilling, milling ceramics or other difficult materials, welding plastics, and medical diagnostics. One or more piezoelectric transducers can be used in an application.
Conventional atomizers typically utilize an ultrasonic vibrating component disposed at the lower extent of an atomization chamber. An electronic circuit that oscillates at an ultrasonic frequency drives the vibrating component, and the positive and negative leads of a fluid level sensor positioned along a fluid line in a liquid reservoir measures and maintains a safe volume of fluid. During operation, the ultrasonic vibrating component generates a sonic field that atomizes liquid in the reservoir. Since the liquid reservoir of a conventional atomizer is of an open design, the liquid must be maintained at a higher volume and level, with the ultrasonic vibrating component unavoidably requiring a larger sonic wave exciter surface area to generate a sonic field that is sufficient to atomize the liquid in the reservoir. As such, the design of conventional atomizers generally requires high power consumption and AC adaptors. Though atomizers may be actuated by hand operation, such atomizers are for personal use only and cannot be used to provide atomized fluids remotely. There are also other design elements that have hampered atomizer development and wider utilization in has not occurred.
What is needed are fluid atomizers that are compact, function with low power consumption, and that can be used remotely.